Photos: A spaceman's view of our beautiful planet

“Now I understand what you tried to say to me…How you suffered for your sanity…How you tried to set them free…They would not listen…they did not know how…Perhaps they'll listen now…”

Hurricane Danielle’ – as we passed directly overhead this evening in the central Atlantic. I’m not a tropical storm expert by any means, but Danielle looks very well-organized with a very well-defined eye. The storm looks spectacularly peaceful from this vantage point…but, I can only imagine the tempest below those clouds. Many thoughts and prayers from space for a favorable path.

I have been enjoying the stunning and unique landscape of South America, and often find myself without words to describe the beauty. Here is a photo of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile with the majestic Andes stretching the length of the continent. Lake Titicaca takes center stage in this photo, on the border of Peru and Bolivia

Space ‘walking’?...Maybe not, but riding on the end of the robotic arm is a real perk of the job. A very unique opportunity and when you get a chance to move away from the structure of the Space Station, the view is profound and life-changing

“The City That Never Sleeps”… New York, New York, on a clear summer night.

We used the robotic arm extensively on EVA 2, with Shannon at the controls. I am so grateful for her precision flying the arm. This photo demonstrates the delirious darkness of deep space and the sterile colorless structure of the Space Station, white and black and metallic…but when you turn toward our Earth, it is an absolute explosion of color, motion and life, a very sharp contrast that takes your breath away.

“Fly me to the Moon…let me dance among the Stars…” I hope we never lose our sense of wonder. A passion for exploration and discovery is a noble legacy to leave to our children. I hope we set our sails and venture out one day. That will be one glorious day…

On the end of the robotic arm, preparing the new Pump Module for its ride up into position on the ISS starboard truss. I am so proud of Shannon maneuvering the arm. She really performed flawlessly and she really took care of me, for which I am very grateful. I told her that I need to take out an insurance policy on her golden hands.

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day…?” A clear beautiful summer day in Acapulco, Mexico. Now that things are back to normal operations aboard the Space Station, I’ve been able to look out the windows a bit more and soak in the waning summer. I am careful not to wish away time, but I am excited to soon see the colors of the Autumn…my favorite season.

The beauty of Italy, on a clear summer night, stretching out into the Mediterranean Sea. You can see many of the beautiful islands lit up and adorning the coastline including Capri, Sicily, and Malta. The city of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius stand out along the coast. Viva Esperia!

Exiting the airlock on EVA 2 in the daylight. The colors of the Earth just explode at you as you exit toward the planet. Notice what looks like scorch marks on the hatch thermal cover, the effect of vacuum and atomic oxygen on the threads and thread sealant used on the thermal cover. The ‘smell’ of space follows suit, I’ve heard it described like burnt cake or cookies, or like the smell of an extinguished match.

We are just caretakers of a priceless Masterpiece. Words escape me, as I watch the Earth dance…“Starry, starry night…Flaming flowers that brightly blaze…Swirling clouds in violet haze…Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue…Colors changing hue…morning field of amber grain…Weathered faces lined in pain…Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand…”

To all of my friends and teammates on the ‘Space Coast’…a beautiful summer day over Cape Canaveral, Florida . This is a magical place…an inspiring display of nature and technology in complete harmony. Launch Complex 39 sitting proudly in the middle of a thriving wildlife refuge. A unique place that launched a generation of scientists, engineers, explorers and dreamers. We cannot let this place fall silent…

We exited the airlock for EVA 3, with the momentum in our favor and a tremendous amount of confidence in the team. We hit a couple of snags along the way, but we were able to overcome those and get the Pump Module installed and everything connected, including the M3 Ammonia Connector! Seized the moment for a photo op with Fyodor (Yurchikin) watching us form the Soyuz window.

An explosion of color, motion, and life painted on the canvas of our wonderful world. This is a section of the Great Barrier Reef off the eastern coast of Australia, captured through a 1200mm lens. I think even the great Impressionists would be awestruck with this natural display.

Of all the places on our glorious planet, few rival the brilliant colors of The Bahamas. Here is a view of our Progress-37 re-supply spacecraft, with the islands of The Bahamas as a backdrop. What a wonderful world!